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Tag Archives: Gay Music

Ok it’s not Friday but I couldn’t wait three days to post this absolute pop cracker by the very talent Charli XCX. I literally eargasamed the first time I heard this song on the 9:15pm train from London Liverpool Street to Hackney. Sure, call me super gay for loving a song called ‘Boys’ but can you blame me? There’s nothing missing from this song and its accompanying video clip; there’s a selection of boys that you’ve secretly (or not so secretly) wanted to sex and or pash behind the bleachers, there’s a video game sample, there’s a catchy hook, boppy-electronic-summer-fun sound and there’s The Fat Jewish. Not to mention the lyrics – ‘I was busy thinking about boys’ – there has never before been a line in a song that better summarises the reason why 90% of the things on my to do list never get did.

Three seconds into Robyn’s ‘Hang With Me’ and I’m hooked. The electronic beat grabs me by the ears and forces me into alt-pop heaven. 10 seconds later and the distinctive Swedish vocals kick in. I’m melting into a kaleidoscope of juicy sounds that permeate throughout my body, causing the hairs on my arm to stand up. It’s like sucking on the teet of the universe and all I want to do is drink more. I want, nay, I need to dance to this song forever; carelessly throw my arms into the air, close my eyes and let Robyn envelop me. Not many songs have such a visceral effect on my insides but this song is different. It’s a perfectly formed pop-song that takes me on a journey. I’m in a field in Sweden, I’m on a dancefloor in San Francisco, I’m 16 years-old and in my bedroom, I’m having sex with a gorgeous stranger. 3 minutes in and I’m having a full blown ear-ection. Finish me off Robyn. And she does. And the song ends and 3 minutes and 34 seconds later, I’m spent.

I honestly believe that we are our own worst enemies. Growing up gay can be fraught with hardship due to the external pressures we feel from peers, our family and society but it’s the pressure we put on ourselves that can have the most debilitating effect. We don’t often realise the impact of our subconscious minds on our ability to live fulfilling lives. Why is that we never feel fulfilled? Because we self sabotage and what’s worse is that we self sabotage without being consciously aware that we’re doing it.

I used to think that fulfilment would magically find me when I had ticked a certain list of criteria pertaining to my body, career, sexuality, popularity and financial status. My life journey has now led me to understand that fulfilment is something you find within yourself that is not based on the accumulation of things or achievements beyond the self. I have also learnt that many people, myself included will never feel fully satisfied until we can overcome the sly devil inside of us that sabotages our efforts when we’re close to achieving success. Self sabotage leads to disappointment which is a roadblock to finding fulfilment within yourself.

Take this blog for example – in October I committed to writing 31 posts in the lead up to my 31st birthday. I started off strongly enough, posting an article everyday but as I neared the finish line something unconscious clicked inside of me which prevented me from writing until today. It was as if my intention to complete the task to which I had publicly committed was inherently flawed by cause of my own committal. Basically, because I had said I would do it, I couldn’t. I could not write the last few articles much like many other things in my life that I have abruptly stopped right before succeeding at them. This left me utterly disappointment and reciting a harsh yet familiar internal dialogue about my inability to complete a task to which I pledged.

Another example is at the gym where I’ve applied myself to strict regimes that I have confidently followed until spontaneously falling off the bandwagon which always coincides with the same point in time that I’m starting to see positive results from all my hard work. It is as if something inside of me doesn’t want me to succeed and when it sees me trying it lures me into a false sense of comfort before sneaking up on me and undoing all my efforts.

My own self sabotage and reflection of my habits has taught me a valuable lesson – the 10% principle. I’ve come to believe that you can put in 90% of the work but it’s the last 10%, the last push, the last effort, the last hurdle which is where the magic happens. There’s a point where you can see the finish line and if you’re not paying attention you’ll miss the mark and start running backwards unless you find the willpower to push through for only 10% more. That’s the point when everything changes. I believe that the most successful people in their fields are those who have learnt to overcome self sabotage and who push themselves 10% further than the rest of the population. Although it’s a small percentage of the overall effort, it is that portion of the work that makes all the difference.

It took me almost seven months to finally update my blog even though I felt the pressure inside of myself to do so everyday. Had I applied the 10% rule a little earlier then I would have had so much great content to share with you, my wonderful reader. Now I hope to make it up to you with more regular posts and content that I hope you’ll find interesting.

I don’t like Sam Sparro because he’s gay nor because he’s a babe nor because he’s Australian. I like Sam Sparro because he makes awesome pop music. Enjoy this track by my future ex-boyfriend Sam Sparro.

Do you believe in reincarnation? I do and I’ll tell you why. My unbridled love for disco music is clearly a carryover from my past life as a discotheque frequenting, flare wearing, dance floor boogying, New York living, Tony Manero type. I’m pretty sure that I partied at Studio 54 with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger because what else could explain the nostalgia I feel when I hear songs like ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ by A Taste of Honey? Or my love for flares? Ok, I don’t really love flares but I do love the energy and freedom of disco music which transports you to another place and time.

You can’t tell me that this song doesn’t make you want to flick your hips around a rainbow underlit dance floor?

Occasionally you come across a song that literally shakes you to your core. You hear the first few bars and the music reverberates from your ears throughout your body, creating a ripple of goosebumps along your limbs. It’s the combination of the artist’s voice, the lyrics and the piano arrangement that almost brings a tear to your eye because of its proximity to perfection. “Take me to Church” is such a song. Andrew Hozier-Byrne or Hozier as he is known, is the 24-year-old Irishman behind this beautifully crafted piece of aural art. His voice is dark, enchanting and eery with an almost spiritual holiness to it which is well suited as the song is about religion, heaven, sin and love. The lyric, “I was born sick, command me to be well” will hold extra meaning for those of us raised in religions that denounce homosexuality and the accompanying video depicting a homophobic beating will strike a chord with anyone who has experienced homophobia.

Currently fixed on “Jazzercise ’95” by electro-pop duo “Cherub”. Having been introduced to this song by a friend while on holiday in Los Angeles, this funky pep-me-up pop track will forever be synonomous with cruising around the Hollywood Hills and the boulevards and prepping for wild nights on the town.

“Jazzercise ’95” is the epitome of my favourite type of music, music that I like to call summer sundowner sounds. This genre evokes warm feeling of balmy summer nights, long beach days and pool parties. It represents that time in the early evening when the sun has almost set and the anticipation of the night ahead causes a surge of excitement through your body like a small electric shock. It’s that perfect period when you’ve had just enough cocktails that you start to feel a relaxing buzz and the music begins to change from cruisey daytime tunes to more uptempo funk, signalling the arrival of the evening. It’s at the very moment, when everything is aligned in beautiful harmony that “Jazzercise ’95” comes on.

Currently fixed on everything about Sky Ferreira. The 21-year-old rising star’s latest release, “You’re not the one” is a beautifully crafted pop song with an edgy twist that is bound to become the 2013/14 anthem of the hipster generation.While other pop stars her age have to twerk against old men to try convince audiences of their “sexuality”, Sky effortlessly oozes sex appeal in a leather jacket, bleached blonde hair and dark shades.

Like most other babes from Venice Beach, California, Sky is the ultimate slashy; she’s a model/singer-songwriter/actress and she’s just been named the new face of beauty brand Redken. And if that doesn’t boost her cool credentials in your eyes then the fact that she grew up around and was friends with Michael Jackson certainly should.

I can’t recall the first time that I watched the 1978 film Grease but I do know that when I look back on my childhood, “You’re the one that I want” is the song playing over my montage of memories. When I was 10-years-old I dressed up like Danny Zuko for a 6-month period and forced all family members, neighbours and school friends to watch me re-inact every moment and song from the 255 minute long movie. I was totally infatuated by John Travolta and swore that when I grew up I would be exactly like him, in every way. Although I didn’t grow up to be a singer or an actor, it turns out that John Travolta and I have other things in common….

This week Grease The Musical opened in Sydney and I was thrilled to have been invited to the premiere. Starring the very handsome, Rob Mills as Danny Zuko and uber talented Gretel Scarlett as Sandy, the show was a sing-a-long spectacular. I had to remind myself that people weren’t there to hear my rendition of “Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee” but thankfully there were moments when audience participation was encouraged. Although die-hard fans might be aware of the inconstancies between the movie and the musical, overall the show was a fun and entertaining night out.

I’ve resisted posting any music by Kylie Minogue because that would be far too cliched. The problem is that I love Kylie. I do. I really do. And I’m currently fixed on her latest single “Skirt (Switch Remix)” which is her first since signing with Jay Z’s record company Roc Nation.

The song was produced by Nom De Strip, aka Chris Elliott, and is co-written with The Dream who have penned hits for Beyonce and Rihanna.